


A not-quite-ocean and the peace it brings

by The_silent_smile



Series: Every day we crumble and build ourselves up again - Marvel one-shots [27]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Afterlife, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Memories, Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark Friendship, Natasha Romanov Dies, Natasha Romanov Has Issues, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Parent Tony Stark, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Dies, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 14:09:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19297327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_silent_smile/pseuds/The_silent_smile
Summary: She wished she could just talk to them one last time..."Agent Romanoff... you miss me?"She turned around swiftly at the voice. The so painfully familiar voice."Tony..."-This is heavily inspired by the tweet that talks about how Tony would surprise Nat in the afterlife and by the lovely comic mrsgingles (you can find them on Tumblr under that URL) made of Natasha and Tony enjoying some peace and quiet in the afterlife





	A not-quite-ocean and the peace it brings

Natasha had been sitting in the unknown area alone, strangely calm as she watched how they returned from the quantum realm and how they found out she was dead. How they mourned her. It hurt to watch them hurting that much. She had wanted the best for her family and she had given them the best chance at getting back their lives. Still, the raw pain on everybody's faces hurt to see.

After having watched Bruce scream and throw a bench so far it nearly ended up on the other side of the lake, she decided that, as she didn't want to get sad, she would be better of exploring the new area around her.  
So she got up, the sniffles and angry shouts her friends had been producing immediately fading away together with the image of them all there in front of her.

So she stood and started exploring, feet burying themselves in the warm, white sand that surrounded her.  
Normally she'd hate beaches. The sand got everywhere and it slowed you down. But this was nice; the sand pleasantly warm and somehow not seeming to get everywhere like it usually would.

After walking around a little, she sat down again, not tired, just simply not wanting to stand anymore.

She looked around again, smile now slightly sad as she thought about how this would get real lonely real fast if she had to stay in this place all alone.

She shifted her legs underneath her body, now sitting cross-legged as she stared out over what appeared to be something resembling the ocean, - though not quite getting the job done- forming in front of her. The waves small and the rushing noise it made pleasant.

She hadn't felt this peaceful in forever. If not a little lonely and sad while thinking about her friends mourning her. She wished she could tell them that she was alright. That she was happy and that she did it so that they could have their chance at a happy ending.

She wished she could tell them that they didn't have to cry over her. That this truly was the best option they had.

She wished she could just talk to them one last time...

"Agent Romanoff... you miss me?"  
She turned around swiftly at the voice. The so painfully familiar voice.

"Tony..."

The man stood behind her, a few feet out of her reach. A small smile softening the lines in his face, the soft white clothing he was wearing matching her own as he put out his arms. In another context, it would be considered a grand move. Now it was simply an invitation.

She got onto her feet again, walking the short distance between them and hugging the man tightly.

"Hey, nat."  
"I thought I wouldn't see you again."  
"So did I."

The hug lasted for a couple of seconds before he pulled away, holding her on arm length to give her a once over before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and walking towards where she had been sitting just moments ago.

"You look good Romanoff."  
"Really Tony?"  
"No. No I mean you actually look good. Younger. Less... Pained? I'm happy to see you this relaxed Nat."

Natasha bowed her head and smiled, the both of them now sitting on the sand again, watching the waves and enjoying the others company.

Like this, she would be fine. With the company of her friend...  
She looked at him. Really looked at him.

He looked good as well.  
Some of the lines that had marked his face because of the stress of the grief that he had been carrying for so long no longer there. The many white lines from previous wounds no longer etched into his skin. She was sure that if he were to lift up his shirt that the markings the arc reactor had left behind wouldn't be there either.

"You look good too Tony."  
"What else is new?" he responded, one eyebrow raised and smirk now twitching at his lips.  
She rolled her eyes at him and shoved him playfully.

"You're right though. Didn't think that all it would take was dying to get my baby skin back."

They both started to laugh before Natasha started suddenly realising what exactly he had just said.

He was here.  
Therefore he had...  
He was...

"What happened?"

He looked at her in surprise for a moment before looking down. Smile slipping from his face and eyebrows knitting together.

"We won."

The words didn't sound as happy as such a thing was supposed to sound. They didn't sound joyful.  
He sounded sad.

"Thanos came back. He from the past found us and came to our timeline. He nearly got the stones again but I stopped him. I-I beat him to it. Snapped instead."

Natasha nodded, arm sneaking around his waist to pull him closer.  
She was glad to see that he was comfortable enough around her to let her do so.

"But somebody had to tell you the news right?" he said, looking up to her again and giving her another smile.

God, she hadn't seen him smile this much since Morgan had been born. She had gone by the small cabin he and Pepper had moved to just months ago as soon as she got his message.

She'd arrived while Pepper was feeding the little child. Tony opening the door for Natasha even before she was able to knock on the front door, giving her a smile and putting a finger to his lips.

'quiet.'

She had nodded and stepped inside just as Pepper lifted the little thing up to rest on her shoulder while turning her head back towards Tony.

"I'll take her."

She had never heard him speak like that. Like he was truly at peace. Truly happy.

He took the baby from Pepper. Giving his wife a kiss on her cheek as he did so and patting the baby on its back until it burped softly and made a happy gurgling noise.

"Hey, Natalia. Thanks for coming to meet your new godchild."  
Natasha her eyes snapped up from where she had been watching the baby move its little hand to rest against her father's neck, the woman looking for any hints that Pepper was joking.

She couldn't find any.

"Miss Stark. Tony, I really don't-"  
"You'll do just fine as her godmother Nat. Come on, I'll show you how to hold her."

A minute later and she was holding Maguna Stark, her little hand wrapped around Natasha's pinky as bright brown eyes peered up at her curiously.  
And suddenly she understood why her friend had looked so happy. So completely at peace.

"Do you want to see what the rest of them are up too?"  
Natasha looked at him and nodded slowly, taking the drink he handed her (where it had come from she didn't know. Thought she found that she also didn't care much) and turning towards where she had watched them mourning her just moments ago.

Now they were at a lake, and she realised that it was the lake next to Tony's house.

"Is this..."  
"My funeral."

Natasha watched the scene in front of them as Tony next to her took small sips from one of the ridiculous looking drinks he had somehow summoned for them.

"Can we not watch this? I really don't... I don't like seeing them sad."

She nodded, though still kept the image there for a few more seconds.  
Clint's family. Nathaniel, Lila and Cooper standing with their parents.

Barnes and Sam were standing next to each other, the later quietly comforting the former who looked incredibly upset, clothing hinting on that he hadn't thought that he would be invited. The simply black bomber jacket a stark contrast to the suit Sam was wearing.

Rocket standing in the mids of his entire family, reunited yet not joyous as he had told her it would be. The racoon having his head bowed down as the rest of the guardians looked out over the lake where the first ever arc reactor drifted away.

Okoye standing next to her king. Maria in front of Fury who stood on the veranda.

And Peter Parker standing next to a quite attractive looking woman and a young man standing in the far back. That must be Harley then.

"They're all back..."  
"Yeah. I wish I could tell them that it's okay though."

"They know that you're in a good place now Tony. They know."

-

"Steve don't fucking do what I think you're going to do you asshole!"  
"I swear to god he's going to do it."  
"He's an idiot if he is though!"

They sat on the same hill, Natasha's head pleasantly buzzing with the alcohol the number of alcoholic drinks they had made appear out of thin air already.

"Nat I swear if he's going to do it, I might actually scream. "  
Natascha laughed at his outrage, throwing her head back at the offending expression he gave her because of her laughter.

"Oh get ready, he's about to do it."  
"Shit I think you might actually be right. He and Barnes are even doing their little secret gay memory thing."  
"Ugh they're such saps, I hate them."

Tony giggled- Actually giggled- at that and took another sip from the crazy straw he had conjured up about three drinks ago, staring at the 'screen' as Steve stepped onto the platform.

"Do you want to follow him?"  
"Oh my god yes. I want to see his reaction when he sees the Red skull on Vormir."  
"RED SKULL IS ON VORMIR?"  
"Yeah. Didn't Clint tell you guys?"  
"That dipshit absolutely did not. Oh, this will be hilarious. Okay. Only Vormir and then we go back to Bruce, Sam and Barnes okay? I want to find out like they did if he actually went and stayed."  
"You got yourself a deal, Stark."

They shook hands, both of them grinning widely as Natasha moved her hand in the air -it had taken Tony exactly two minutes to figure out how to fully operate what they were now calling the 'gazing ball'- and changing perspectives, them now following Steve.

"Okay. Vormir it is then. You sure you're good with seeing that place again?"  
"Normally? no. But I'm tipsy and you really do bring out the worst in me so... Bring it on."  
"Those are some words to live by Nat."  
"I know, I'm a genius, now shut up I want to see Steve speechless for once."

Steve was indeed speechless. Though not for very long.

"Steve son of... du schufte! I thought you were dead!"  
"You gotta be absolutely shitting me."

"Oh my god, Natalia this if even better than I thought it would be."

Steve and Red Skull stared at each other for about thirty seconds before Steve apparently decided that this really was too much for him.  
"I- you know what? I'm done. Take your fucking stone and piss off. I'm out of here."  
With that, America's golden boy threw the stone at the villain and turned around, activating his suit and jumping into the quantum realm again without saying another word. The Redskull mumbled some sentence in German under his breath, too quiet for the duo to understand, before picking up the stone and floating away.

"Holy shit that was everything I hoped for and more."  
"He just threw an infinity stone at a Nazi ghost and fucked off back into the future. I suddenly understand why they thought he was the best match to become Captain America holy fuck."

They laughed at Steve some more before deciding to go back to their present and see if Steve had actually pulled off what Tony was calling the 'homewrecker's time heist'.

"Tony. Tony holy shit, look at the bench. That's Steve right?"  
"Wait. Wait, wait, wait."  
They had followed Sam this time. Watching closely as he walked towards the man on the bench, walking around the wooden thing and watching as the man turned to look at him and...

"NAT HOLY SHIT LOOK AT HIM IM PISSING MYSELF."  
Natasha didn't respond, staring at the screen with a sick sort of fascination as she looked at Steve. because it was definitely Steve. Even though he was...  
"The absolute mad lad actually did it. I'm dying look at how wrinkly he is! He's basically a raisin."

-

"Peter is a dumbass." 

Natasha looked up from where she had been making coffee, walking back to the hill Tony was sat on and sitting next to him, handing him the mug and turning towards the screen.

They had been there for quite some time now. On earth, nearly a year had passed even though it only felt like a week for them.

Tony had been watching Peter the most out of all his kids (Natasha had taken to calling them his kids after one conversation they had had a few days ago. Tony had explained that he felt like Harley and Peter saw him as a father. Nat herself silently adding Nebula to that list as she knew how much the mechanic meant to the blue alien.

But Peter hadn't been cooping that well recently, so Tony was worried.

"Why is he a dumbass this time?"  
"He won't eat."

Natasha sat next to her friend, rubbing his leg soothingly as together they watched how Peter refused several meals that May had given him while he was sat in his room. As spring break had started, the kid didn't have any reason to get out of his room and it worried Tony.

"Its moment like these that I wish those spirit board thingies actually worked so I could tell him to eat his god damn dinner."  
"Have we ever tried if it worked?"  
"No. But those things are stupid Nat. I'd be odd if they actually worked."  
She hummed, agreeing with him as they watched Peter for a little while longer before switching over to Morgan, Tony's face brightening slightly as soon as he laid eyes on his daughter.

'Auntie Nebula' had come to visit and Morgan was currently intensely concentrated on discovering how her aunts metal arm worked. Nebula spoke with her gently, trying to relax herself as much as possible so the kid wouldn't have any reason to be scared of her.

"I'm really proud of Nebula," Tony said softly as he watched his daughter and the alien woman interact.  
"Before, she wouldn't even talk to me. She didn't know how to have fun or how to relax. And look at her now."  
"She had come a long way"Natasha agreed, watching the scene with fascination as Nebula poked Mogan's belly softly. The delighted giggle the girl let go of encouraging her to keep going.

"God I miss them."  
"Me too."

-

"What are you thinking about?"

They hadn't turned the screen on for a few hours. Wanting to enjoy the quiet and each other's company to its fullest instead of constantly being focused on other people their lives.

This had led to them staring out over the not-quite-ocean again. White clothing moving lightly in the soft breeze and hair brushing against their foreheads as they watched in quiet.

"Home... And you?"  
Natasha turned to her friend. As soon as she saw his expression she knew she wouldn't be getting a serious answer. Not that she minded though. If it hadn't been for the both of them constantly joking, she would have spiralled a long time ago.

He turned to look at her, a smirk playing on his lips and eyebrow raised in challenge.

"Cheeseburgers."  
"Forget I asked." She said with a laugh as she shoved his shoulder, him falling over dramatically and clutching his chest in mock offence at her action.

After he was done with his little theatrical performance and they had both stopped laughing, he sat up again, leaning back on one arm and staring out over the not-quite-ocean just like her for a couple of seconds.

"No but seriously."  
"Tony..."  
"Do you think this place has got a Burger King?"

Natasha just scoffed at him and kept on looking to what laid in front of them.  
And she realised that, even though she felt sad when thinking of her friends, this would be alright as long as one person in her family was with her.

They would be alright like this.

"I don't know Tony. But we can go for a walk and see for ourselves if you put down that martini."  
"It's orange juice, you know I don't drink."  
"So I'm the only one that's drunk right now? You're such a party pooper."  
"I act like I'm drunk even when fully sober Nat. Now come on, let's see if this place is any good and can summon my favourite fast food joint."  
"Don't you actually hate their food? You once said that it was so gross that it made you rethink your life choices."

Tony looked at her as if she had just said the most unimpressive thing he had heard in his life, the man standing over her and holding out a hand for her to take as he answered.

"I also said that I never wanted kids and here we are. Now come on, I want some greasy food."  
"Alright, alright. I'm coming, Tony."  
"That's what he said."

Natasha groaned, though still took his hand and let herself be hoisted onto her feet, her arm comfortably slinging around his waist in a friendly manner as they slowly started walking through the white abyss, both of them feeling truly at peace. She still had to get used to that feeling of peacefulness settled in her core that the not-quite-ocean seemed to bring with itself.

"Am I really not getting a reaction out of you with an overused sex joke? Humour has failed me."  
"God, I hate you."  
"Love you too, Nat. Love you too."


End file.
